Improvement in seal-locks



F. W. MIX. Seal-Lock.

Patented Nov. 11, 1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. MIX, OF TERRYVIIJLE, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEA L-LOCKS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,595, dated November 11, 1879 application filed June 9, 1879.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. MIX, of Terryville, in the county. of Litohfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of the peculiar construction of certain devices and in the combination of parts, all as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a seal-lock which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same with the seal-cover unlocked and opened. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the seal-lock on line 00 m of Fig. l and a side elevation of an ordinary padlock to which said seal-lock is attached. Fig. 4 is a detached front view of parts of said lock. Fig. 5 is an end view of the cover, showing the catch or tang for engaging the spring-bolt and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are plan views of seals adapted for use in connection with the aforesaid lock.

The lock proper, of which A represents the case, maybe of any ordinary kind. To the front side of this case I affix a seaLpIate, B, having a hinged cover, C, for covering the keyhole of the lock proper. This seal-plate may be of any desired form, and coveringa part or the whole of one side of thelock-case, as may be desired. If desired, this seal-plate may also constitute one of the plates of the lockcase. If it is a separate plate attached to one side of a complete lock-case, as represented in Fig. 3 of the drawings, then said plate must be provided with a key-hole. a,,or an opening in front of the key-hole of the lock proper. The seal-plate is thick enough around the edge of the cover to form a recess, into which the cover 0 is received when closed, so as to partially cover its edges. The cover is hinged at its lower end in any proper manner, and atits opposite end is a small catch or notched tang, c, for engagement with a supplementary looking device located in the seal-platedirectly opposite said catch. This supplementary locking device is operated by its own key, and wholly independent of the main locking mechanism, and it consists of a partially-rotating spring-bolt, Z), substantiallyiu disk form, with a notch on one side, the radial edge by the side of which notch is beveled 05, as shown in Fig. 2. This disk-shaped bolt is placed in a circular recess in the seal-plate, underneath which bolt thereis a well-known form of scroll-sprin g, it, one end of which is secured to the seal-plate and the other end to the bolt. The middle of the bolt has aslot, d, in it, to receive the end of a flat blade, which answers for an operatingkey. A suitable cover holds the spring-bolt in place, said cover having an opening over the middle slot, a, and the radial beveled edge of the bolt, as shown.

Over and surrounding the slot (1 there is a seal-seat, h, Fig. 2, which may be of any desired form, and upon the inside of the cover C there is a spring, a, fitted to said seal-seat h, and having a circular opening coinciding with a like opening in the cover to admit the key. The portion of the cover which comes in front of the key-hole of the lock proper is solid. The seal-seat of the form shown in the drawings will receive seals of either of the forms shown in Figs. 6 and 7; but I prefer to use seals of the form shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the seal-seat being changed in contour to conform to the shape of the seal.

Although I have herein described in detail the seal-lock-that is, the supplementary locking device for locking the seal-plate cover-I do not wish to confine myself to that particu lar locking mechanism, as any other locking mechanism which is independent of that of the lock proper may be substituted therefor without departing from my invention. The cover C need not necessarily be hinged. If it is movable, and locked in place by a seal-lock whose seal and locking mechanism are independent of the main lock and its key-hole, the object of my invention can be accomplished.

When the seal-plate cover is opened the lock proper may be locked and its key removed from the key-hole a. A seal is then placed in the seal-seat and the cover C closed, when the beveled end of the tang c strikes the beveled radial edge of the spring-bolt, to forceit back out of the way when the spring returns it, thereby forcing the bolt into the notch of the tang to lock the cover in place. In closing the cover the spring it bears upon the seal to hold it firmly in place. When the cover is 

